Being a gay cop in Orange County brought abuse, ex-officer writes in tell-all book

Bereki, a former Huntington Beach police officer who in 2008 settled a harassment
lawsuit against the city, has released a book about his experiences as a
gay Surf City cop.

“Friendly Fire: The Illusion of Justice” purports to tell “what it felt like being a young gay man in a macho, homophobic
profession,” he wrote in his book.

“Though California is viewed
by much of the country as one of the more gay-friendly states in the
union, the Huntington Beach Police department seemingly occupies an
island of its own, pinned in a period of time that runs prior to
enlightenment,” Bereki wrote.

In the book, Bereki, who received a $150,000 settlement after he left the department, claims that taunts about his sexual orientation crippled his physical and emotional well-being.

Huntington Beach Police Chief Ken
Small, who was chief during Bereki’s time on the force, said he had
read excerpts of the book and that it has “no basis in fact.”

“I think it belongs in the fiction section,” Small told the Huntington Beach Independent.